The pharmaceutical companies and traders of Tamil Nadu have appealed to the state government to approach the Centre to establish a gamma sterilization plant in the state. Currently, they are sending their products either to Bangalore or to Trombay in Maharashtra for sterilization.

The pharma companies and the traders made this demand on the occasion of releasing of the Pharma Tele Index 2009 prepared by Madras Pharmaceutical Wholesalers Association (MPWA). The Association has approached the state drug administration with a proposal in this regard to be submitted to the state government.

Speaking on the occasion, M Gyanchand Bohara, president MPWA, said a seminar can be organized by the Association to familiarize the members about the sterilizing unit.

Releasing the Tele Index, K Sundaraswamy, the state drug controller said that he had forwarded the proposal to the concerned authority for the follow up action but it has to be approved by the Union government. He said that the state government was in the process of identifying land required for the project.

Regarding establishment of another SIDCO Pharma Industrial Estate (second Pharma Industrial Complex) for which the Association was pleading for years, he said the state government has found the budgetary allocation for the purpose in the next fiscal and it is under serious consideration. The members of industry were asking to shift the centre from Thirunelveli to somewhere near Chennai.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, Sundaraswamy said the state government has allotted 250 acres of land in Nanguneri in the industrially backward district of Thirunelveli for bringing up an industrial estate where some other small and medium enterprises (SMEs) would also get space in addition to the pharma industrial complex. The official said the Estate would be run by State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) for large manufacturers.

The government has chosen Nanguneri as the ideal location for the Pharma Industrial Estate as it is close to Thuthukudi where transportation and communication facilities are available with facilities of sea port, air port and railway station. The existing pharma complex at Alathur in Kancheepuram district covers more than 50 pharma units in an area of more than hundred acres.

The Tele Index contains the details of manufacturers, traders, retailers, addresses and contact numbers of sales tax department, income tax dept, transportation offices, blood banks, eye banks etc. in the state.